The Portraits of Princess Peach's Castle
by DeadShut
Summary: Just what ARE the courses we see in Super Mario 64? What are their stories? And just how did their respective bosses come into power? Come and SEE how in this unique, easy-to-read archive of explanations for the Portraits of Princess Peach's Castle.


The Portraits of Princess Peach's Castle

**Hi, all. DeadShut here. I've had this idea for a while now. I do hope you enjoy it. **

Much mystery revolves around the many locations Mario can visit by jumping through the portraits within Peach's Castle during his adventure to free the princess and defeat Bowser with the miraculous might of the Power Stars. Let us take an adventure, you and I, through the past of these bizarre places…

**Bob-Omb Battlefield:**

This beautiful grassland was always inhabited by the Bob-Ombs, the suicidal soldiers who have long felt mistreated by the Mushroom Kingdom, straying away from the majority of its population and instead choosing to live in isolation around the impressively-tall summit. For many years, the Bob-Omb society resided here with almost no political progression, the leader always being whichever Bob-Omb could make the best type of weaponry.

One intelligent Bob-Omb saw the potential his race had, yet was displeased at the lack of organization and evolution that went on amongst them. Inspired by the villainous King Bowser, this Bob-Omb pursued a life of royalty and nobility, seeing himself not equal to his brethren but superior in every way. He constructed a plan to what seemed to help benefit his kind, but only ultimately benefited him; this King Bob-Omb named himself ruler of his kindred and turned the beautiful grassland into a nearly-impenetrable fortress. King Bob-Omb perched himself on top of the high summit, watching his glorious kingdom.

Eventually, the Koopa King, Bowser, came to see much potential in King Bob-Omb, entrusting him with six Power Star. Loyal as ever to someone so upper-class, King Bob-Omb agreed to guard the Power Stars within his kingdom. In return, Bowser added Goombas to the Bob-Omb army, and gave the King the wild and ferocious Chain Chomp.

Unfortunately for the King, a group of opposing Bob-Ombs, who called themselves Bob-Omb Buddies, refused to take part in aiding Bowser, and went to war with the King and his black Bob-Ombs…thus, the Bob-Omb Battlefield was born.

The six stars were put under heavy protection. One star was placed on a floating isle above the grasslands. Another behind a cage, guarded by the merciless Chain Chomp. One would refuse to show itself until a total of eight red coins were collected throughout the area. Another required someone with the capabilities of flight to soar through rings of gold before it revealed itself. And the last one in the possession of the Bob-Omb's was taken by the King himself, who obsessed over its power.

You may notice a missing Star. There's quite a story in _that_.

You see, amongst Bowser's army there was one devious traitor; Koopa the Quick. The Quick was not to be insulted, for he could happily steal your belongings and you wouldn't notice until he was long gone. Koopa the Quick was offended by King Bob-Omb one day at a council meeting with Bowser. The King made the horrid mistake of calling the Quick "a sneaky little fiend"…so the Quick made off with the last Power Star, keeping it for himself and not telling a soul.

The King thought he had misplaced it, much to his horror. He never revealed to Bowser he had lost the Star, and searched feverishly for it; he now had a new reason to stand on that summit and watch his men work.

He kept that secret until his untimely death at the hands of a heroic plumber.

Eventually, the villainous Bob-Ombs died out along with their leader, or moved on to pursue other careers within Bowser's army. The Bob-Omb Buddies made it their duty to make the Battlefield a peaceful place. They work on it to this day.

* * *

><p><strong>Whomp's Fortress:<strong>

During the construction of Peach's Castle many years ago, there were a vast amount of architects working on their princess' home. One of these architects was a Whomp (a creature made of stone) named Grit. Grit had blueprinted most of the castle and built half of it, before he was told to leave the princess' company. When he inquired, he was told that it was because of his political views and outspoken approval of Bowser's Koopa Troop-movement. The same was said for his four apprentices, two being Whomps like he, the other two being Thwomps. They were exiled from the Mushroom Kingdom for treason.

Grit went insane with fury, and (from his new "home" on an island far away) began constructing a fortress. Wanting to prove to the Mushroom Kingdom that he was not so made of stone that he couldn't be tolerated by other races, he used his supreme architect skills to give the fortress the ability of flight. Getting his old crew back together, Grit set course for a suicide-mission to crash into the Mushroom Kingdom, proving his building could easily destroy one made by other architects.

Thankfully, Bowser came along and convinced Grit that the suicide-mission was pointless, and that the fortress could be used instead to hide Power Stars - this would give the Whomp his vengeance upon Peach's castle, along with a position serving his favorite politician. Grit, still insane, agreed.

The flying Fortress itself was very impressive, divided into four "floors", although there were no indoor-segments. The first "floor" consisted of a grassy courtyard-like area, complete with beautiful flowerbeds that housed Piranha Plants. The second "floor" was made of stone, with a large yet shallow pool of crystal-blue water that the Whomps and Thwomps used as drinking water. Also on the second floor was the Fortress' only cannon, and a supply of blue coins for whenever they needed to land and purchase goods. This back area was rarely visited by the group, yet was where prisoners were kept before execution; the captives could choose to either jump off the Fortress and end themselves, or they'd be crushed to death personally by Grit. The third "floor" was where the two Thwomps, accompanied by two Piranha Plants, patrolled. Also on the third floor was an elevator-like device that brought prisoners up to Grit, the Whomp King, since his minions could not go up themselves. The fourth floor was where Grit glowered always, planning his next move in this game of vengeance.

The Thwomps were positioned on the back stairwell, in case any adversaries tried to sneak onboard, which occasionally had happened, since many had seen their friends or families taken away by the flying Whomp's Fortress and the golems that operated it.

Eventually, it was infiltrated by a Bob-Omb Buddy and Mario, who helped each other overthrow it. Both of the Whomp-followers were slain at the hands of Mario, but the "Whomp King" himself survived the attack, giving Mario the Power Star and escaping with his life. Mario then found the rest of the Stars Bowser had given to Grit, and the Whomp's Fortress was left to float in the air with nobody aboard except the two panicking Thwomps; with no one to steer it, Grit's creation eventually crashed into a mountainside, ending the last of the four apprentices.

Grit was imprisoned as soon as his escape had reached the justice-seeking ears of the Mushroom Kingdom. However, he was so utterly convinced that he had assembled the perfect Fortress that modifications to it haunted him on a daily basis.

He eventually did rebuild his beloved piece of architecture, only this time having it float in space with the help of Bowser, again. Using this, he resumed his psychotic killing spree, having his men send him corrupt Mushroom Kingdom politicians and throwing them into where he dwelled; in the center of the Fortress. Finally perfecting his dream of having a lair he could reside in while his new (more well-equipped) henchmen piloted the Fortress, Grit sailed the skies, finally satisfied.

Unfortunately for Grit, he could not escape the clutches of Death, and met the fate he avoided at first when Mario attacked the Fortress yet again. _This_ time, the Fortress itself did not crash, and Grit's faithful men still pilot it to this day.

* * *

><p><strong>Jolly Roger Bay:<strong> The sea is an extraordinarily large place, explored by many, but in the Mushroom Kingdom, some areas of its vastness are better left abandoned…and one of these places is the Jolly Roger Bay.

The first thing that is obvious about this historical site is that it is entirely shrouded in an eerie mist, which makes it unseen by any sort of approaching aircraft from any kingdoms…including the Mushroom Kingdom. The only way to access the Bay is by boat…or by portrait, thanks to the Princess. The reason why the Bay is eternally shrouded in mist is rather simple: it is haunted.

A long time ago, a group of pirates from a race long-extinct in the Mushroom Kingdom had decided that they were going to sail out to the nearest isolated area and betray their elderly Captain, Wormwood, there. Why? So they could steal a treasure he had only kept to himself in the lower decks of the ship. Lead by the first mate, Briggs, the pirates lied to ol' Wormwood, saying there was a newly-built port to plunder. Upon seeing the deserted Bay, Wormwood drew his sword from its sheath, eyes ablaze, ready to fight. He slew every last traitor aboard his ship with the exception of Briggs, who was equal in strength, determination, and greed. The two fought impressively, before Wormwood overpowered Briggs, knocking him overboard and believing him to be dead. Wormwood took half of his infamous treasure, and threw it overboard, wanting to keep them safe in this isolated Bay…until Briggs came back up, and both men fell into the salty seawater, struggling to save their own lives and end each other's. They were so absorbed in the fight that they didn't realize they had hit the bottom until they both saw it: the _cave_. An underwater cave. Wormwood swam for it, Briggs behind him. What they saw was amazing; a humongous clearing, devoid of all water, with humongous stone pillar-like stalagmites towering them.

It was here that the two men ended the fight with two jabs: Wormwood in the stomach, Briggs suffering a stab to the chest. Both mortally wounded, unfortunately. The first mate died instantly, but the Cap'n cleaned up his wound, being a man of survival. For the next two days, he worked on bringing his five chests of treasure into the underwater cave. Hoping to survive, he went back aboard his ship to find it had hit a rock and was sinking at a rapid rate. Now terrified, he swam back down to the underwater cavern, having no place else to go. The saltwater and the straining work had reopened his wound, and after leaving a message to any who dared enter his cavern to take the treasures that lurked in it, embraced death as the ship hit the bottom of the bay.

The Bay had never been the same after that gruesome bloodbath. As you know, many of the dead can come back as Boos, but Wormwood and his traitorous pirates came back in a more horrific way. Most of the crew lurked in the sea as demonic clams, opening up their "mouths", promising victims treasure, and snapping shut to kill off any who dared approached them. The ship eventually started to rot and decay on the ocean floor, yet it was not quite uninhabited; a humongous eel took up residence within Wormwood's old ship, greedily killing off any who came too close. Many modern sailors believe that this monstrosity is the reincarnation of the slippery first mate Briggs, who was a snake in life and therefore forced to be a snake thereafter.

As for Wormwood…well, his body broke down within the cavern, yet his spirit still lingered. Those beautiful pillars were not so magnificent anymore, being possessed by the vicious pirate captain, who would crush anyone who came into his grave.

* * *

><p><strong>Cool, Cool Mountain:<strong>

Brrrrrr! Put on your mittens, wrap your scarf tightly, and get ready to enjoy Cool, Cool Mountain, the largest, _cool_est mountain in the Mushroom Kingdom! Why is this mountain so tall? Why, because it's in the air! Yes, this mountain is hundreds of feet above the snowy ground. The Penguins, a peace-loving race, inhabit this beautiful area in hopes of avoiding the Snowman, who lurks on the grounds below and rules over all frosty freaks and creatures. The inside of the mountain is a dangerous slide that the Penguins like to race on in their leisure time. Bob-Omb Buddies come here to "chill" once in a while.

Bowser had decided to use this slippery place as a safe house for the Power Stars, yet trusted nobody personally to take care of them in his stead.

For more information on the history of Cool, Cool Mountain, see the "Snowman's Land" segment below.

* * *

><p><strong>Big Boo's Haunt:<strong>

In the Mushroom Kingdom, death comes for all. However, in a world of such mystery containing so many secret powers waiting to be claimed by some, you can bet that there have been ways for those who have died to come back. One example of this is a deceased-one becoming a Boo.

In order for one to become a Boo, one must have the following attributes: a love for pranks, a pleasure from seeing others in misery, and, surprisingly, social anxiety. There are many evils out there in the world who prefer to do things alone, operate by themselves, detesting the presence of other people. Shyness is not uncommon, and so those who are tormented by such anxieties come back from the dead as spherical mischief-makers who haunt dark places with fellow Boos, tormenting the world that had once did so to them.

The Boos are naturally drawn to eerie-looking places, so it's not a surprise that they infested the old cursed mansion far within the dark woods a long way from the Mushroom Kingdom. For years, the Boos of the mansion would scare anyone who was unlucky enough to pass. One day, however, an old mage came with his wife. Tragically, the Boos scared the poor old woman to death, and the mage, overcome by grief, cursed the mansion by surrounding it in iron bars and sending it into a moonlit purgatory, so nobody could ever be bothered by them again.

However, the old mage did not know that the leader of the Boos in the mansion, Big Boo, had been an experienced practitioner of the black arts when he was still alive. Big Boo managed to create a dark relic that worked as a portal to the purgatory he and his fellows were to stay for eternity. The relic was a strange-looking cage, and once the underground marketers of the Mushroom Kingdom found out about it, many shady-folk hastily sought to purchase it.

It was Bowser, however, who had succeeded in purchasing this rare piece of evil. Within the Mansion he stored Power Stars, which Big Boo used to create frightening traps and creatures, including the giant and loyal Mr. I hidden in a room only ghosts could enter. As wonderful as these gifts were, however, the Boos are still stuck in this limbo for eternity.

* * *

><p><strong>Hazy Maze Cave<strong>

Although all Shy Guys are mercenaries with common objectives (to cause as much mischief as possible) they have, like all societies, outcasts. The smaller, frailer, and weaker Snufits are always the butt of the joke in Shy-culture, and life for them is rather hard. It was only a matter of time before some of them branched off after being so mistreated, and pursued other interests.

One of these interests was cave-exploring. Fleeing to a mountainous region once detached from the Shy Guys, the Snufits spent much time venturing into caverns since their new lands were pitted with them. After much time doing this, they moved onto gem-collecting from the shiny stones within the caves they ventured into. From that came a mining industry.

The Snufits began to rise in their economic status. After creating a successful business empire, they started their own civilization in the mountains for their kind, mining being a racial trait, something all Snufit children wished to practice and master. Thought they were heavily pampered when called upon by Bowser's unified races, the Snufits never sought business with their cousin-races who used to bully them so mercilessly.

When the Koopa King got his hands on the Power Stars and assaulted Peach's Castle, he transported some of the Stars to the Snufits. The Snufits, looking for such an honor to best their Shy Guy relatives and to get a more political role in the Koopa Troop, happily agreed to hide the Stars in one of their most infamous mines: the Hazy Maze Cave.

The Hazy Maze Cave was only studied by the most professional of the Snufit-miners, along with a couple of Monty Mole-allies. This place was a death-zone, very prone to accidents. To make matters worse, the area was home to a very toxic gas called Leuko, which, if inhaled enough, could painfully kill you. This was usually where the Snufit-professionals resided, studying the gas and trying to weaponize it.

During the mining of the Hazy Maze Cave, the Snufits discovered a host of wildlife, from the dog-like-obedient Scuttle Bugs to the vicious Swoopers to a large yet gentle aquatic being that lived in the underground lake of the mine. The Snufits successfully trained the former two, but the last creature was impossible to coax into doing their bidding, so they coexisted peacefully.

Although the Hazy Maze Cave was the Snufits' pride and joy (and one of their biggest moneymakers), it was eventually infiltrated by Mario. The Snufits responded with hostility, yet were no match and perished. The cave is still open, and the haze within it still exists.

* * *

><p><strong>Lethal Lava Land<strong>

Although the oceans of the Mushroom Kingdom are used commonly amongst the many races who reside there, there is one sea that not even the fearless of adventurers dares to sail upon. This is what many, old and young, call the "Lethal Lava Land". A vast sea of hot magma fills the Lethal Lava Land that could kill any passing traveler with just a touch.

However, in the red mists of the Lava Land lies a small fortress, floating without a care in the crimson marine. Who, one may ask, would be insane enough to inhabit such an area? Why, answers the expert, the Bullies would.

With the shape of a Bob-Omb, the Bullies used to be a tribe of Mushroom Kingdom Vikings who sailed the seas, looking for eternal life. Due to their constant traveling, none were wise to the arts of magic, so when the King Koopa Bowser paid them a visit and performed a few "miracles", the Bullies had decided that Bowser was a deity sent to grant them immortality. Clever Bowser took opportunity of this, and wrongly promised them what they wished if they forever worked under his rule. Forever loyal, the Bullies agreed to work until their salvation came unto them.

Deciding Bowser was an elemental deity of fire, they began constructing a fortress within the harshness of the Lethal Lava Land. In the middle of this maze-like structure was what looked like a small volcano, but was actually the entrance to the Great Shrine, where the Bullies practiced their worship. Donning decorative horns on their heads in respect to their god, the Bullies became the most feared zealots in the Mushroom Kingdom.

As custom to Bullie-culture, the biggest and strongest of a generation were raised to become holy guards called "Guardians", who would confront any intruders and try to murder them by pushing them into the great fiery pits beneath them.

Due to their loyalty, the Bullies were granted the opportunity to guard Power Stars for Bowser. Believing them to be keys to salvation, the Bullies guarded them with their lives.

When Mario destroyed the Bullies to get the Stars, many thought the religion was dead, yet there are still some who remain to preach it.

* * *

><p><strong>Shifting Sand Land<strong> Many years ago, in a distant desert, there existed a very advanced town called Shift, composed entirely of Dryites. Although many Dryites lived in Dry, Dry Outpost, these little workers found solace in starting their own community, wanting to embrace their own unique ideas. This new civilization became a sort of monarchy, with one Pharaoh making the big decisions for the rest of the town.

The Shifters were dutiful workers. Much of their time was spent inventing systems for more sufficient architecture, but that soon changed when their fifth ruler, Pharaoh Ryd, was almost assassinated by a Dryite from Dry, Dry Outpost who disagreed with the Shifters' way of living. Afraid for his life, Ryd commanded his town of engineers to develop something new: a foolproof method of defense so intruders would either be killed or scared off.

While a system of respect was usually had amongst the Pharaoh and his people, Ryd broke the mutual trust and created a new, overbearing work schedule for his workers. Out of his fear, Ryd forced the Shifters to work tirelessly; some workers collapsed dead due to the amount of stress that had been given to them. As the schedules got worse, the indignant attitudes of the workers grew tremendously. Soon, a group of brave Shifters volunteered to attempt to assassinate the poor Pharaoh. Among these was a powerful Shifter who was practiced in the arts of voodoo named Rok. Although most of the rebels did not like Rok very much, they accepted they needed his help to stop Ryd.

The night of the assassination came. Rok, with his powers from beyond, sadistically gave Ryd's soul to hellish creatures from another dimension before any other rebels could intervene. Usurping Ryd's rule, Rok became the new Pharaoh, known by most as the Hell King. Although Ryd was merely just a frightened simpleton, Rok was a monstrous, power-hungry man who experimented with the dark arts, frequently testing his powers out on his subjects.

The Shifters, now even more mortified at their new leader, called for aid. One magician in Dry, Dry Outpost informed them that he could perform a sealing ritual that would hold Rok forever, should the Pharaoh be in an enclosed place and the mark of the seal remained undisturbed. So, charismatically, the Shifters convinced Rok that he deserved a pyramid to live in, along with an area full of traps for intruders that they made their old Pharaoh, Ryd.

Rok eagerly agreed, and allowed the pyramid to be built around him before the traps were lain down. Once the pyramid had been completed, the magician the Shifters called upon worked his magic.

The furious Rok refused to be sealed away, however, and began to fight back with his own powers. Although he could not fully keep the magician's powers at bay, Rok was able to keep himself conscious and physical by performing a disturbing voodoo ritual in which he plucked out his own eyeballs, then bonded his soul to the stones of the pyramid around his bloody eyes.

When the ritual was done, Rok was nothing like his former self. He was now a monstrosity, just two giant hands made of stone, an eye on the palm of each hand. Although his powers had been reduced significantly, he was now a brute force to be reckoned with, crushing many Shifters to death in a rage.

To combat this new villain, which they called Eyerok, the Shifters worked as hard as they could to reseal the monstrosity within the walls of the pyramid, then set traps all around the pyramid, hoping that no man or woman ever entered the tomb and disturbed the monster within it.

The Shifters abandoned their town after that, fearful that Eyerok may release itself from its prison to extract its vengeance upon them. They left their magnetic-based traps operating when they left, so that no intruder may suffer the awful fate of being mauled to death by their old Pharaoh.

And so Rok remained in his tomb as a monster. Slowly he lost his humanity, believing he was two separate spirits with no willpower over his urge to kill, referring himself as "we". He remained there, undisturbed, until he was awakened by Mario years later. Angered by his rude awakening yet joyous to have something to kill, Eyerok attacked, but finally the Pharaoh perished at the hands of the mustachioed plumber.

Apparently, Bowser was intrigued by the trapped pyramid, and hid his Power Stars within it. Retaining some of his memory, the sealed Rok recognized the magic of the stars, and accepted their placement within his resting grounds instinctively.

* * *

><p><strong>Dire, Dire Docks<strong>

Not much is known about this area, other than the fact that it is a random part of the sea that Bowser enjoyed visiting when he was a child. It was his base of operations when he and his men attacked Peach's Castle and took the Power Stars, until Mario intervened.

* * *

><p><strong>Snowman's Land<strong>

Down within the shadows of Cool, Cool Mountain is the Snowman's Land. While Cool, Cool Mountain is quite a welcoming and enjoyable place to visit, Snowman's Land is absolutely hostile to any outsiders there may be passing through. The inhabitants of the Snowman's Land used to live happily on Cool, Cool Mountain, which was used as a tourist attraction and ski resort, headed by Cringle, a large and powerful yet friendly Mr. Blizzard. Cringle was a fun-loving man, wanting his Mountain to be the number one ski area of the Mushroom Kingdom, free for all to enjoy. His partner and closest friend, a fellow humongous Mr. Blizzard named Graupel, dealt with the political aspect of Cool, Cool Mountain, having arranged meetings with the inhabitants of the floating isle.

One day, a fleet of privately-owned Shy Guys came to Cool, Cool Mountain, taking advantage of the freedoms it allowed and decimating many of the resorts' wooden bridges before moving on. This led many of the Mountain's inhabitants to flee forever, and caused Cringle and Graupel to go into a disagreement. While Cringle wanted to simply reconstruct and move on, Graupel wanted to start up a police force to do battle with any future intruders. At a public vote, Cringle's stance won over Graupel's, causing the latter to take matters into his own hands.

With many of his own kind agreeing with his ideas, Graupel formed his own secret police to find out if anyone planned on leaving or betraying Cool, Cool Mountain. One outspoken penguin, Buck Slider, was an outspoken critic of the architecture of the Mountain; believing him to be a possible enemy, Graupel's secret police brutally executed him by forcing him to jump off the floating isle.

Word of this reached Cringle's ears, and he told his friend off for such a malicious execution. Graupel tried to show his friend that it was necessary, but Cringle heard none of the excuses; Cringle began his own police force that were to round up and imprison any of Graupel's supporters, along with Graupel himself.

Graupel, however, refused to be taken to prison, and decided to lead his followers on an attack. Unfortunately for him, Graupel and his men were defeated by Cringle's police force, and were then sentenced to exile from Cool, Cool Mountain by jumping off the Mountain themselves.

Below, a tribe of dimwitted Chill Bullies witnessed first-hand the landing of Graupel, his Mr. Freezes, and his Spindrifts. Superstitious, the Bullies were amazed, and believed Graupel was a deity sent to their tribe to make them the most powerful element of the Bullies. Hurt by his exile and peeved by the Bullies' ignorance, Graupel agreed that he was a god and that he would bring only one Bully to salvation with him; the tribe had to fight to the death and the last one standing would be declared the winner. The most intelligent and strongest of the Bullies, named Bane, became the sole survivor.

Bane's intelligence was recognized by Graupel, and the Mr. Blizzard taught Bane all about Cool, Cool Mountain - Bane, grateful that he was spared and rid of his burdensome tribe, joined Graupel and became his personal bodyguard.

In order to retaliate on his exile, Graupel created an operation in which devout Mr. Blizzard followers would sacrifice themselves to help add to the snow of their leader, thus making him bigger. The ultimate plan for Graupel was to become a giant and destroy those who threw him away from his home. However, it soon became clear that many Mr. Blizzards were too valuable to sacrifice, so Graupel did not become the gargantuan being he dreamed of becoming. Instead, he was now a towering, menacing figure, so heavy that he could not even move. He became the unmoving yet watchful eye over his followers, who worked below, plotting terrorist attacks on Cool, Cool Mountain.

One such attack, planned and executed by the malicious, cold, and calculating Bane, resulted in the melting of Cringle's body, rendering him a useless head stuck on a wooden pedestal. In his state, the Penguins took over the Mountain, which was shut down to all skiers.

Bane was given the Number Two position of the Snowman's Land in return for his efforts. He got his own level of land above most other minions, and sent many troops on successful missions.

Bowser came along and, in his crafty ways, decided that both sides of this small conflict should hide away his Power Stars; nobody would ever guess that both sides were in on it. Graupel eagerly agreed to house the Power Stars, hoping their magic would help him in future battles.

Mario eventually came along sometime after, beforehand having restored Cool, Cool Mountain back to its former glory and giving Cringle a new body. Amazingly, he was able to climb atop Graupel's head with the help of a stranded ambassador from Cool, Cool Mountain, and claimed the Power Star that was up there.

At first, Graupel attempted to stop Mario from taking the Stars, but that was until Mario won a brief battle against Bane, killing Graupel's Number Two by pushing him into freezing waters; Bane was horribly frozen to death. Frightened by Mario's power, Graupel allowed Mario to find the Stars without getting directly responsible; his soldiers however, attempted to stop the plumber at any chance they could get.

Mario left the Snowman's Land, and Graupel remains there to this day, wondering what his next move as a leader should be.

* * *

><p><strong>Wet-Dry World<strong> Unfortunately, this place is an enigma. However, it is worth noting that in the underwater town, there are just as many houses as there are Skeeters in the entire area.

…perhaps the species is more intelligent than they let on.

* * *

><p><strong>Tall, Tall Mountain<strong>

This wonderfully tall and beautiful mountain has no real back-story, but it _is_ well-known as a good location for mountain climbers to practice their sport. Many strange wildlife reside here, including a troublemaking monkey.

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><p><strong>Tiny-Huge Island<strong>

Yet another enigmatic location, this island is a cursed location. Depending on which side of it you enter, the island will either shrink or grow. Deciding this place was puzzling enough to hide Power Stars, Bowser scattered them throughout it. It is widely believed that the curse was brought upon the lone Wiggler that lives within the island. The Wiggler, named Wry, was a failed sorcerer in his homeland. The Wiggler had a bit of experience in curses, which ended up doing quite a bit of damage to his community. Although it was on accident, the town became angry with him. Sad, Wry attempted to do the right thing by learning spells to reverse the curses, but was instead forbidden to learn about magic ever again.

With his failures came the mockery from his peers. Soon, Wry went into a depression, which soon turned to rage. Feeling resentment for those who mocked him, Wry decided that he would leave his community forever, breaking the hearts of his friends and family.

He eventually came across the island; his new home. Here he practiced with his curses, possibly one day using the Tiny-Huge Curse. Finally deciding he had had enough with magic, he chose to live out the remainder of his days on his peaceful little island, enjoying the isolation and being frustrated with the rest of the world.

Bowser found the Wiggler's frustration to be borderline anger, and thus saw potential in the little ex-wizard. So, Bowser met with Wry, who agreed to take the Power Stars and allow some Koopa Troop set up camp on his island.

However, the energy of the Power Stars became too much to bear for the poor Wiggler, and his anger with the world and himself became more apparent with each day as he suffered from the agonizingly bright powers of the Stars.

The final straw came when his home was unintentionally flooded by Mario, who had come to the island looking for stars. The stress finally being too much to bear, Wry charged and attacked Mario. However, after a brief battle, Wry felt his anxiety leave him due to the physical contact, and decided to betray Bowser, giving Mario the Power Stars as a friendly gesture. He then used his magic, which was now working more sufficiently, to shrink and crawl back home.

The Koopa Troop eventually left the island, and, soon after, so did Wry for a little while. He eventually met a female Wiggler, and they lived together with their children on the island.

As a sign of friendship, Mario later invited Wry to participate in some games, such as tennis.

It is worthy to note that Wry is the younger brother of a Wiggler war chief named Wreck. Wreck, a sadistic bully, constantly picked on his younger brother before his isolation. Growing up, Wreck became a valuable member of the Koopa Troop. He was, however, given the job to terrorize a beach on Isle Delfino by Bowser's son. Wreck perished in a battle against Mario.

Although they never saw eye to eye, Wry made an appearance at his brother's funeral, and considered the death a pity. To this day, he does not blame Mario.

* * *

><p><strong>Tick-Tock Clock<strong>

In Peach's Castle, there is an entranceway to one of the most mysterious placed in the Mushroom Kingdom. The Tick-Tock Clock, as it is nicknamed by most, is a place where Mushroom Kingdom scientists work to study time and the secrets of the universe. Not much is known about this factory, but what goes on inside of it is always to be confidential. Although research took an unwanted break when Bowser took over the castle, things got back into business as soon as he was gone.

* * *

><p><strong>Rainbow Ride<strong>

This unique place is actually right above Princess Peach's Castle. Using the portal within the castle, one can reach the Rainbow Ride, which is in fact a getaway ship in case of an attack. Peach attempted to get on the Ride in order to escape to the floating manor the ride leads to, but was stopped by Bowser. Upon seeing the Ride, Bowser decided it was an ideal place to hide more Power Stars, and made sure to do so.

After the invasion, Peach had the Rainbow Ride destroyed, as it was useless now that enemies knew of its existence.

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><p>Well, there you have it, folks. Have a nice day.<p> 


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